Vacation season is on its way, which for many young people means road trips, theme parks, and cruises galore. But it can also mean sharing vulnerability, processing grief, repairing family relationships, and navigating blossoming romance. These three novels explore the fun, freedom, and complications of life on vacation for tweens.

Cartaya, Pablo. A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation. 288p. Penguin/Kokila. May 2025. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780451479754.
Gr 6 Up–In this exploration of grief, generational impact, and healing, readers will find a book they can’t put down. Gonzalo Alberto Sánchez García is spending summer vacation with his estranged grandfather, author of a popular juvenile fantasy series. The next book in the series is launching, and the pair are supposed to fly cross-country for a book tour. Grandfather Alberto has other plans and friends to see, so they road-trip instead. Along the way, the two bond as Alberto shares snippets of his life and the dangers of his childhood in Cuba. Alberto softens towards Gonzalo and helps his grandson explore his grief. Gonzalo is struggling with the death of his scientist father; he is also distressed because he isn’t scientifically inclined and feels like he’s carrying the weight of saving the world by lowering carbon emissions. Alberto still grieves his parents and wife. Gonzalo’s mom Veronica joins them, and like a geyser, the pressure builds until the three travelers erupt and must deal with the unacknowledged grief, pain, and anger among them. Conversations frequently include Spanish, and context clues assist those who don’t read the Spanish. While there are loose ends, the book ends on hopeful notes. VERDICT Purchase where more books on processing grief are needed.–Sarah Sieg

DeVillers, Julia. Meet Me at Wonderland. 304p. S. & S./Aladdin. May 2025. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781665964258.
Gr 5 Up–Fourteen-year-old Coco is in for a roller-coaster summer in this upper middle grade rom-com. Coco is thrilled to finally be old enough to work at her family’s amusement park, Wonderland, for the summer. After a tough year at home with her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and a hard year at school with her friends, Coco is ready for a summer of fun. On her first shift as the park’s mascot Morty the Moose, Coco stumbles out of her sweaty costume and right into the cute new guy: Henry. Henry is not as thrilled to be spending his summer working at Wonderland because it means being away from his soccer team and his friends. After their first embarrassing encounter, or “moose cute,” Coco is tasked with training Henry, and the two bond over their shared quick wit and their ability to slide moose puns into any conversation. Before long, they both start to wonder if there may be potential to be more than friends. Coco even confides in Henry about the park’s financial trouble. But they both have fears and secrets, and when Henry’s secrets come to light, they just might ruin everything. With short chapters alternating between Coco and Henry’s points of view, this fast-paced middle grade novel is sure to entertain young readers. The joyful and flirty dynamic between the relatable teen characters make this a great choice for young romance fans. VERDICT A sweet, recommended purchase for libraries serving tweens and teens.–Elizabeth Blake

Huntoon, Caroline. Going Overboard. 208p. Feiwel & Friends. May 2025. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250347251.
Gr 5 Up–Nonbinary seventh grader Piper Shapiro and zir mother Noura are an engaging duo who love and support each other. It’s always been the two of them, and that is the way Piper likes it. Then zir mother introduces zem to Gwinny—her girlfriend—and Piper fears they might be getting serious. To make matters worse, Gwinny is zir classmate Colton’s mother, whom ze does not care for. If they get married, Colton will become zir stepbrother! There’s only one thing to do: break up the lovely couple before they walk down the aisle. When Gwinny takes the whole group on a Caribbean cruise, Piper teams up with zir faux “twin” Colton to sabotage their mothers’ plans. As Operation Break Up is put into action, the kids begin to have fun working together to thwart their mothers’ relationship. Huntoon strikes the perfect balance between lighthearted and sweet to thoughtful and honest while dealing with serious topics important to many tweens, including same sex-marriage, nonbinary identity, deadnames, found family, interpersonal relationships, traversing “normal” middle school angst, bullying, middle school mean antics, and neopronouns. VERDICT A charming, timely novel about growth and change; recommended for most middle school collections.–Pamela Thompson McLeod